Thank you all you nice people for the reviews **grins** There will be more
Spike, and definatley some Spuffiness soon.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter2
Xander was busy at the construction site, going over the plans of a new apartment building with his boss, when his cell phone went off. He looked slightly embarrassed and took it out of his jacket pocket. He saw the caller was Giles.
"Sorry I have to take this," he said apologetically.
He turned his back and walked a few paces, so to be out of his bosses hearing.
"Hey G man what's up?" asked Xander.
"Thought I'd told you never to call me that, never mind: I'm worried about Buffy, she's locked herself in her room again, but I think it's more than that," sighed Giles.
"Look I am on lunch break in half an hour, about I come over, see if I can talk to her," said Xander.
"Would you? I've tried everything and I have Dawn here pitching a fit, because she can't get in her room," Said Giles rather desperately.
"Ah, the joys of being a surrogate father, I'll be over as quick as I can," Xander replied.
Xander dialled up his home number.
"Hello?" said a voice warily on the other end.
"Andrew it's me, sorry can't make it home for lunch, have to go see Giles," said Xander.
"I already made it, I cook I clean and do your dirty laundry, all I ask is a little respect in return, well if you want your lunch later, it will be in the cat," whined Andrew.
"We don't have a cat," said Xander.
"Well the goldfish then," Andrew replied slamming down the phone.
Xander went back to his boss, to continue going over the plans. He sometimes wondered why he put up with Andrew. He had just looked so lost, both of his friends were dead, he had nobody, he'd just stood there shifting about from one foot to another, when Faith and Wood had driven them all here. He knew why he kept him around even if he hadn't admitted it to anyone else. He was his last link with Anya. Her death still cut deep, he winced inwardly as he remembered his stupid throw away remarks he'd made as they had surveyed the remains of Sunnydale. But, it had just been his way of coping; he looked at his watch.
"Okay if I go for lunch now?" asked Xander.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Xander arrived at the apartment building; he could hear Dawn's wails as he neared the front door. He knocked on the door; a rather harassed looking Giles opened it.
"Oh thank God, you're here," said Giles in relief.
Dawn was on the sofa, looking a blotchy mess, her nose all red from crying.
"Hey Dawnster, what's up?" he asked her instantly regretting it, as she went off into one.
"Buffy?" he asked looking at Giles.
Giles motioned towards the direction of her room.
"Go easy on her, I think I may have been a bit insensitive," admitted Giles
Xander walked off, while Dawn was still full rant, closing the door behind him. He put his ear to the door, it was silent, maybe she had fallen asleep. He tapped lightly on the door.
"Go away Giles, I need to be alone," she said
"Not Giles, Xander here," he replied.
"Oh," came the voice from inside.
There was a continued silence, when Xander was startled as the door suddenly flew open. Buffy looked pale, but at least there was no sign of tears, he thought.
"Bad dreams again?" he asked
She nodded.
"Yeah they can be a bitch," he said.
Buffy opened the door wider to let him in. Xander looked at the mess that was she and her sister's bedroom.
"Whoa, maybe I could lend you Andrew for awhile," he smiled.
"I thought you were my friend," she replied.
"Just a joke Buff," he said sitting down on the bed next to her.
She smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Buffy this has to stop, you're killing yourself," he said softly.
"Well what use am I? I never wanted to come back in the first place, you all know that, I should have died with Spike, would have been a mercy," she said sadly.
"Buffy Anne Summers, don't ever let me hear you talk like that again! I lost Anya, life still goes on, you may not want it to, but it does, why do you think I keep so busy, because when I stop, I remember that she's not there anymore and she's never gonna come back. Don't make Spike's or Anya's sacrifice pointless, remember when you told Dawn the hardest thing in this world is to live in it?"
"Yes, I remember,"
"Well live in it, live for those we lost, but most of all, live for yourself," he said.
Buffy bowed her head as huge sobs racked her body, she felt the comfort of Xander's arms around her, she melted into them for a moment, until she was reminded of another time, when someone had held her in his cold arms, giving her strength, she struggled to be free, the memory was too raw.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I really want to be alone, thanks for being here," she smiled weakly at him.
Xander looked at his watch.
"Gotta be some where?" she asked.
"Time for me to be back at the site and I didn't get any lunch," he told her.
"Dawn's probably got a doughnut or two kicking around," said Buffy, sounding a little more like her old self.
"And you know I'm trying to cut down on the sugary fried snacks," he said patting his tummy.
He gave her a smile as he left her and closed the door behind him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dawn had stopped her crying, as she was sitting watching MTV, while Giles cringed at the music.
"So how is she?" asked Giles.
"Well she's been better," said Xander.
"Do you think I can get in my room now?" asked Dawn.
"I'd say that was a possibility," said Xander.
"Good cos my friend and I are gonna check out the all the cute guys at the mall, can't do it wearing this," grinned Dawn. Pointing to her soiled blouse.
She walked off in the direction of her room.
"Are you going to let her just go?" asked Xander.
"She's seventeen, I have to trust her sometime," sighed Giles.
Giles switched off the TV, glad of the silence. The phone rang, jolting them out of their thoughts. Giles seemed reluctant to move.
"Shall I get that?" asked Xander.
"Please," said Giles vaguely.
"Hello, Rupert Giles, well not personally, anyway," said Xander.
Giles could hear the slight strain of an excited voice on the other end.
"Calm down Willow, you're talking too fast, say that again," said Xander as the colour leeched out of his face.
He listened as Willow repeated herself, he handed the receiver over to Giles.
"Think you'd better hear what Willow has to say," he said looking nervously at Buffy's bedroom door.
TBC
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter2
Xander was busy at the construction site, going over the plans of a new apartment building with his boss, when his cell phone went off. He looked slightly embarrassed and took it out of his jacket pocket. He saw the caller was Giles.
"Sorry I have to take this," he said apologetically.
He turned his back and walked a few paces, so to be out of his bosses hearing.
"Hey G man what's up?" asked Xander.
"Thought I'd told you never to call me that, never mind: I'm worried about Buffy, she's locked herself in her room again, but I think it's more than that," sighed Giles.
"Look I am on lunch break in half an hour, about I come over, see if I can talk to her," said Xander.
"Would you? I've tried everything and I have Dawn here pitching a fit, because she can't get in her room," Said Giles rather desperately.
"Ah, the joys of being a surrogate father, I'll be over as quick as I can," Xander replied.
Xander dialled up his home number.
"Hello?" said a voice warily on the other end.
"Andrew it's me, sorry can't make it home for lunch, have to go see Giles," said Xander.
"I already made it, I cook I clean and do your dirty laundry, all I ask is a little respect in return, well if you want your lunch later, it will be in the cat," whined Andrew.
"We don't have a cat," said Xander.
"Well the goldfish then," Andrew replied slamming down the phone.
Xander went back to his boss, to continue going over the plans. He sometimes wondered why he put up with Andrew. He had just looked so lost, both of his friends were dead, he had nobody, he'd just stood there shifting about from one foot to another, when Faith and Wood had driven them all here. He knew why he kept him around even if he hadn't admitted it to anyone else. He was his last link with Anya. Her death still cut deep, he winced inwardly as he remembered his stupid throw away remarks he'd made as they had surveyed the remains of Sunnydale. But, it had just been his way of coping; he looked at his watch.
"Okay if I go for lunch now?" asked Xander.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Xander arrived at the apartment building; he could hear Dawn's wails as he neared the front door. He knocked on the door; a rather harassed looking Giles opened it.
"Oh thank God, you're here," said Giles in relief.
Dawn was on the sofa, looking a blotchy mess, her nose all red from crying.
"Hey Dawnster, what's up?" he asked her instantly regretting it, as she went off into one.
"Buffy?" he asked looking at Giles.
Giles motioned towards the direction of her room.
"Go easy on her, I think I may have been a bit insensitive," admitted Giles
Xander walked off, while Dawn was still full rant, closing the door behind him. He put his ear to the door, it was silent, maybe she had fallen asleep. He tapped lightly on the door.
"Go away Giles, I need to be alone," she said
"Not Giles, Xander here," he replied.
"Oh," came the voice from inside.
There was a continued silence, when Xander was startled as the door suddenly flew open. Buffy looked pale, but at least there was no sign of tears, he thought.
"Bad dreams again?" he asked
She nodded.
"Yeah they can be a bitch," he said.
Buffy opened the door wider to let him in. Xander looked at the mess that was she and her sister's bedroom.
"Whoa, maybe I could lend you Andrew for awhile," he smiled.
"I thought you were my friend," she replied.
"Just a joke Buff," he said sitting down on the bed next to her.
She smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Buffy this has to stop, you're killing yourself," he said softly.
"Well what use am I? I never wanted to come back in the first place, you all know that, I should have died with Spike, would have been a mercy," she said sadly.
"Buffy Anne Summers, don't ever let me hear you talk like that again! I lost Anya, life still goes on, you may not want it to, but it does, why do you think I keep so busy, because when I stop, I remember that she's not there anymore and she's never gonna come back. Don't make Spike's or Anya's sacrifice pointless, remember when you told Dawn the hardest thing in this world is to live in it?"
"Yes, I remember,"
"Well live in it, live for those we lost, but most of all, live for yourself," he said.
Buffy bowed her head as huge sobs racked her body, she felt the comfort of Xander's arms around her, she melted into them for a moment, until she was reminded of another time, when someone had held her in his cold arms, giving her strength, she struggled to be free, the memory was too raw.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I really want to be alone, thanks for being here," she smiled weakly at him.
Xander looked at his watch.
"Gotta be some where?" she asked.
"Time for me to be back at the site and I didn't get any lunch," he told her.
"Dawn's probably got a doughnut or two kicking around," said Buffy, sounding a little more like her old self.
"And you know I'm trying to cut down on the sugary fried snacks," he said patting his tummy.
He gave her a smile as he left her and closed the door behind him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dawn had stopped her crying, as she was sitting watching MTV, while Giles cringed at the music.
"So how is she?" asked Giles.
"Well she's been better," said Xander.
"Do you think I can get in my room now?" asked Dawn.
"I'd say that was a possibility," said Xander.
"Good cos my friend and I are gonna check out the all the cute guys at the mall, can't do it wearing this," grinned Dawn. Pointing to her soiled blouse.
She walked off in the direction of her room.
"Are you going to let her just go?" asked Xander.
"She's seventeen, I have to trust her sometime," sighed Giles.
Giles switched off the TV, glad of the silence. The phone rang, jolting them out of their thoughts. Giles seemed reluctant to move.
"Shall I get that?" asked Xander.
"Please," said Giles vaguely.
"Hello, Rupert Giles, well not personally, anyway," said Xander.
Giles could hear the slight strain of an excited voice on the other end.
"Calm down Willow, you're talking too fast, say that again," said Xander as the colour leeched out of his face.
He listened as Willow repeated herself, he handed the receiver over to Giles.
"Think you'd better hear what Willow has to say," he said looking nervously at Buffy's bedroom door.
TBC